This application claims priority from Japanese application number 2002-104124, filed Apr. 5, 2002, for xe2x80x9cDelineator Lighting Apparatus.xe2x80x9d
The present invention relates to a delineator lighting apparatus, and more particularly to a delineator lighting apparatus using a plurality of side face emitting type optical fibers in combination.
As is well known, discharge tubes such as fluorescent lights are widely used as linear basic lights and/or decorative lights at easily-accessible locations. However, since such discharge tubes are easily broken and may cause burns or other injury or damage by heating, electrical leaks, and electric shocks, for example, some have used side face emitting type optical fibers which do not cause such dangers. Since a side face emitting type optical fiber is capable of seamless linear emission and the replacement of the bulb of its light source is easy because the light source may be positioned where it can be easily maintained, it has recently come into use as a delineator lighting fixture in dangerous places such as curves in roads and in passages in buildings, for example, or as an attention-attracting light at platforms and pedestrian crossings, for example.
In the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No.6-73715, a light fence as shown in FIG. 1 is disclosed. This light fence comprises a light source 51 and light-emitting means 52 connected to the light source 51. The light-emitting means 52 are light diffusing tubes comprising a core formed with liquid-type transparent material and a clad capable of bending. The light-emitting means 52 are mounted on the poles 54 erected on a road 53. Since the light-emitting means 52 emit or flash light in a line form, they may inform automobile drivers of the existence of a dangerous zone in advance. However, since this light fence only emits or flashes light in a line form, it has little variation in light emission; thus, drivers may not be alerted to of the existence of a dangerous zone.
Furthermore, in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No.8-246427, a delineator lighting apparatus as shown in FIG. 2 is disclosed. The delineator lighting apparatus comprises light sources 61, and tube-shaped light-emitting elements 62 in which a light leakage section A and a light shielding section B in a proper length are formed repeatedly in the longitudinal direction along the outer surface, and in which the light incident from the light source 61 through the color filter 65 is emitted from the light leakage section A, thus emitting light in a broken line form. The light-emitting elements 62 are mounted on the poles 64 erected on a road 63. Since the light-emitting elements 62 so emit light that the light emission shifts from a light emitting zone to another light emitting zone in a broken line form, the delineator lighting apparatus may indicate the line shape of the road intelligibly. However, because only light emission in a broken line form is obtained by this delineator lighting apparatus, there is a problem that the line shape of a road is not able to be indicated without a break.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above prior art problems. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a delineator lighting apparatus which emits light without a break over a long distance; for example, when it is used as a light fence, delineator lighting apparatus, or the like on a road.
In one aspect, the present invention is a delineator lighting apparatus for guiding a person""s line of sight by the shift of light emission from one light-emitting zone to another light-emitting zone, said delineator lighting apparatus comprising at least two light-emitting elements being extended in the longitudinal direction, said light-emitting elements having the same or different compositions and comprising at least two light-emitting zones which are disposed in a regular pattern throughout the entire length and allow light to be emitted in different light-emission intensities, each of said light-emitting elements allowing light to be emitted in continuous sequence from said light-emitting zones in one direction, said adjacent light-emitting elements being disposed with a predetermined distance deviation and allowing light to be emitted regularly one after another with a time difference.
According to a preferred embodiment, the delineator lighting apparatus of the present invention uses side face emitting type optical fibers as light-emitting elements. The plurality of side face emitting type optical fibers are disposed substantially in parallel, and each of the optical fibers is so composed that a light attenuation section or colored section (semi-emitting zone) formed by covering the outer surface with a semitransparent or colored material in a proper length in the longitudinal direction, and a non-light attenuation and non-colored section (main-emitting zone) are repeated. The main-emitting zones of each of the optical fibers are disposed and deviated from each other in the longitudinal direction. The light incident from the light source to each of the optical fibers (incident light) is blocked, attenuated, or colored only during any given time by the semi-emitting zone. Additionally, the semi-emitting times for the optical fibers are deviated from each other. Further, the sequence of semi-emitting of each of the optical fibers is not limited. The main-emitting zone of the optical fiber allows the brightest light to be emitted when the light incident from the light source is not blocked, attenuated and colored; that is, when the incident light is emitted as it is from the main-emitting zone. By changing the emitting state of the incident light from the semi-emitting state to the main-emitting state sequentially in each of the optical fibers, a brightest light emitting zone is shown as it moves sequentially in the longitudinal direction, and thereby the xe2x80x9cdelineator effectxe2x80x9d of the present invention may be realized. Furthermore, by assigning any one of the optical fibers to the emitting state at all times, at least one of the emitting state optical fibers is always visible. For this reason, a directional movement of light without a break is continually provided over a long distance.
Further, the present invention provides a traffic sign system comprising the delineator lighting apparatus of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention provides a decorative system comprising the delineator lighting apparatus of the present invention.